Packaging explosives



1953 T. F. PAULS PACKAGING EXPLOSIVES lNVENTORZ THERON E PAULS 5Y6): I

Filed June 17, 1950 AITQBNEYS.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 2,660,300- PACKAGING EXPLOSIVES Theron F. Pauls, Alton, Ill., assignor to Olin Industries, 1110., East Alton, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 1'7, 1950, Serial No. 168,735

2 Claims. i

This invention relates generally to the packaging of explosives, and particularly to a prepared package containing cups charged with ex plosive.

Blasting caps, detonators, and the like consist essentially of a cup, usually metallic, charged with highly sensitive explosive. These are frequently handled in commerce with one end of the cup open so that, at the time of its use, the miner or other user may insert an appropriate fuse or electric igniter and crimp the cup to the fuse or igniter. Since the explosive contained within the open-ended cup is dry, though usually compacted into a more or less coherent mass, there is an inherent danger that some of the explosive may escape through the open end of the cup, even though the cups be arranged with their open ends up. The hazard involved in the shipment of such explosive-laden cups has led to the requirement laid down by the Interstate Commerce Commission that such open-ended cups must be covered by a suitable elastic pad, which serves the purpose not only of confining the explosive to its cup, but provides cushioning for the cups.

In compliance with the regulation aforesaid, it has been customar heretofore to pack explosiveladen cups so that their open ends are up, and the packages heretofore in use have been designed so that, when the package is opened, access is had to the pad, which must be removed before access to the cups can be had. With such arrangements, when the package is opened, and one of the cups made accessible, all have their open ends exposed upwardly, thus inviting reception of foreign objects and materials. This presents not only a hazard from the standpoint of possible explosions, but the foreign materials which find their way into the open end of the cups may be of character such as to adversely affect the utility of the explosive charge contained within the cups.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide a prepared package con taining open-ended cups charged with explosive and in which the package is not only safe to handle, but after being open, affords protection for the cups remaining therein.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa package of detonators prepared in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the components of the package shown in Figure 1 without the exterior wrapper;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a component of the package shown in Figure 1, illustrating the condition thereof at the time it is initially laden with detonators and before assembly with the other components;

Figure 4 is a perspective view-of a package prepared in accordance with another embodiment of the invention and ready to be loaded with detonators; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the package shown in Figure 4 when laden and ready to be wrapped.

The present invention contemplates the packing of explosive-charged cups, typified by detonators, in a tray with the open ends of the detonators at the open face of the tray. In accordance with the required practice, the open ends of the detonators are covered by a pad of elastic material, such as paperboard or felt, and the assembly of tray, detonators, and pad is wrapped so that the most accessible opening to the wrapping is at a face of the tray which is at right angles to the open ends of the detonators. The face of the tray last-mentioned is preferably provided with a section readily rupturable, so that access may be had to the packed detonators through that face of the tray, and a detonator may be removed from the packagein a direction parallel to the pad, and while the pad remains in position across the open mouths of other detonators in the package. 7 The invention further contemplates the assembly together of two trays laden with detonators,

as above described, so that the open ends of the I detonators in the respective trays face each other, and the elastic pad is interposed therebetween, thus serving to cushion and close the mouths of detonators on opposite sides thereof. The assembly of two such trys of detonators with the intervening pad is enclosed in a suitable outer package orwrapping of any desired form and of any suit able material, but preferably the wrapper has a in the manner aforesaid, are turned so that their side walls, opposite the one having the series'of perforations 1, constitute the bottom, .andthe open ends 2 of the detonators are at'the side, as shown in Figure 2. With thezarrangement. shown, the open ends of the detonators I'faceL- each other and abut a pad 8 on opposite sides thereof. The pad 8 serves to close the mouths of these detonators in both trays and to cushion the ends of the same.

The assembly of trays, detonators, and pad,

arranged as shown in Figure-2, is then encased in a suitable exterior box or wrapping, as shown in Figure l. The exterior wrapping may take -any-convenient form, such as a paperboard box -9 having a hinged lid 4e. Irrespective of the character of the box '9, it is preferable that said box be "providedwith a closure portion, such as N, which constitutes theavenue through-which the consumer is invitedto gain access to the contents, and may normally be expected to do Y vso. The invention contemplates-that the-access opening to the wrapping 9 be preferably arranged so that, when theclosure for said opening is lifted, the sides of trays 3, which have-the lines of perforations I, will be thereby exposed. -With I such an -arrangement,.aceess maybe had to the detonators i the-package by grasping the edge H of the exposed side wall 6 and tearing it along perforation lines 1 .in-the manner shown in Figure 1. 'With the sectionthus removed from the therelation of the pad 8 with reference to @the .detonatorsremaining in that or the opposite tray. .Suchdetonators asremainin the tray continue tohave their mouths closed and continue to be protected by the pad-8.

-A modified-form of the package is shown in .Figures land 5 wherein .two trays J3 are-formed from a single'blank of material so as to provide :a double wall l4 .folded along aline i5, .one ply of which constitutes the side wall ofone tray, and the ,otherply constitutes theside wall .ofthe other tray. The side-walls l6 oppositethat just mentioned in each-tray are provided with lines of spaced perforations 1' .in order .thatasection of said side-wall ma be readily separated from the body of the tray.

The respective trays [3 are packed with detonatorsin precisely the same manner as that detension 11, which is preferably integral with the two trays I3 (but may be a separate piece adhered to them), performs the function of the pad 8 in the previous embodiment.

Finger slots l9 may be provided at the perforated wall of the trays in either embodiment.

The interior package shown in Figure 5 is pref- :erably provided with a suitable wrapping, or

outer-case, such for example, as that shown in Figure 1, wherein, when the closure flap is opened,

the sides of the trays which have lines of perfo- .rationsareexposed.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art :should readily understand that the invention accomplishes its objects and provides a package of explosive-charged cups, which is not only safe tohandle while the package is intact, but affords continued protection to the detonators remaining in the package after it has been opened and some have been removed.

'While' two complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is apparentthat many modifications and variations in the details thereof will present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the-invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such modifications and variations are contem plated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A prepared package'comprising a pair of trays each having five walls secured together and .an open side, a multiplicity of-cups charged with explosive, said cups being divided equally between and. arrangedin saidtrays with their open ends at the open side of said trays, said trays being arranged-with their open sides facing each other, a pad between said:trays-and engaging the open ends of'the cups in both trays-.and-a wrapper having parts 'surroundingsaid trays-andsaid pad, and maintaining a the --same in the relation aforesaid, said wrapper having a closure flap at one face, said closure flap being openable Without releasing the relationship of said parts, and thewall of each .of said trays, at the face-which is exposed-when said closure flap is open, being scored to-delineate a readily separable section of tray-wall, said section extending to the closed ends "of the cups, and said section when separatedproviding an'opening through which the cups are accessible without removing the trays from the wrapper and without'removing the pad ,fromengagement with the other parts.

2. .The package of claim 1 wherein the face at which theseparable-section islocate'd isparallel with .of'the cups within the package.

THERDN PAULS.

References Cited .in the file of .thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re.'2 3,257 Hunswor'th Aug. 22,1950 739,487 'Gair Sept. 22, 1903 "2,046,484 Ringler July 7, 1936 2,371,271 Smith Mar. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 527,155 -Great Britain Oct. 3, 1940 

